Measurement of food flavonoids by high-performance liquid chromatography: A review

Optical Chemosensors Synthesis and Appplication for Trace Level Metal Ions Detection in Aqueous Media: A Review

In recent years, the development of optical chemosensors for the sensitive and selective detection of trace level metal ions in aqueous media has garnered significant attention within the scientific community. This review article provides a comprehensive overview of the synthesis strategies and applications of optical chemosensors dedicated to the detection of metal ions at low concentrations in water-based environments. The discussion encompasses a wide range of metal ions, including but not limited to heavy metals, transition metals, and rare earth elements, emphasizing their significance in environmental monitoring, industrial processes, and biological systems. The review explores into the synthesis methodologies employed for designing optical chemosensors, discovering diverse materials like organic dyes, nanoparticles, polymers, and hybrid materials. Special attention is given to the design principles that enable the selective recognition of specific metal ions, highlighting the role of ligand chemistry, coordination interactions, and structural modifications. Furthermore, the article thoroughly surveys the analytical performance of optical chemosensors in terms of sensitivity, selectivity, response time, and detection limits. Real-world applications, including water quality assessment, environmental monitoring, and biomedical diagnostics, are extensively covered to underscore the practical relevance of these sensing platforms. Additionally, the review sheds light on emerging trends, challenges, and future prospects in the field, providing insights into potential advancements and innovations. By synthesizing the current state of knowledge on optical chemosensors for trace level metal ions detection. The collective information presented herein not only offers a comprehensive understanding of the existing technologies but also inspires future research endeavors to address the evolving demands in the realm of trace metal ion detection.

Comprehensive Review on Fruit Seeds: Nutritional, Phytochemical, Nanotechnology, Toxicity, Food Biochemistry, and Biotechnology Perspective

Fruit seeds are leftovers from a variety of culinary sectors. They are generally unutilized and contribute greatly to global disposals. These seeds not only possess various nutritional attributes but also have many heath-beneficial properties. One way to make use of these seeds is to extract their bioactive components and create fortified food items. Nowadays, researchers are highly interested in creating innovative functional meals and food components from these unconventional resources. The main objective of this manuscript was to determine the usefulness of seed powder from 70 highly consumed fruits, including Apple, Apricot, Avocado, Banana, Blackberry, Blackcurrant, Blueberry, Cherry, Common plum, Cranberry, Gooseberry, Jackfruit, Jamun, Kiwi, Lemon, Mahua, Mango, Melon, Olive, Orange, and many more have been presented. The nutritional attributes, phytochemical composition, health advantages, nanotechnology applications, and toxicity of these fruit seeds have been fully depicted. This study also goes into in-depth detailing on creating useful food items out of these seeds, such as bakery goods, milk products, cereal-based goods, and meat products. It also identifies enzymes purified from these seeds along with their biochemical applications and any research openings in this area.

An Interdisciplinary Assessment of Biochemical and Antioxidant Attributes of Six Greek Vicia sativa L. Varieties

Common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) is one of the most cultivated feed crops with extensive agricultural diversity and numerous cultivars. This study concerns the first-time investigation of the dry plant biomass and grains of six vetch cultivars to define the detailed fingerprint of their phenolic and fatty acid content, along with their respective antioxidant potencies. The results revealed a substantial variation in the feed quality traits among the tested Vicia sativa varieties, highlighting the crucial role and influence the genotype plays in the achievement of high-quality livestock nutrition. Among the six varieties tested, Istros and M-6900 displayed a particularly intriguing phytochemical profile characterized by elevated phenolic content, significant antioxidant potency and remarkably high fatty acid indices. These findings are indicative of the great potential of these varieties to function as suitable candidates for incorporation into farm animal diets either in the form of dry biomass (hay) or as a grain feed additive.

Application of Red Onion Peel Extract for Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles in Hydrogels Exhibiting Antimicrobial Properties

UV-initiated green synthesis of metal nanoparticles by using plant extracts as photoreducing agents is of particular interest since it is an environmentally friendly, easy-to-maintain, and cost-effective method. Plant molecules that act as reducing agents are assembled in a highly controlled way which makes them suitable for metal nanoparticle synthesis. Depending on the plant species, their application for green synthesis of metal nanoparticles for diverse applications may contribute to the mediation/reduction in organic waste amounts, thus enabling the implementation of the circular economy concept. In this work, UV-initiated green synthesis of Ag nanoparticles in hydrogels and hydrogel's thin films containing gelatin (matrix), red onion peel extract of different concentrations, water, and a small amount of 1 M AgNO₃ have been investigated and characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, SEM and EDS analysis, XRD technique, performing swelling experiments and antimicrobial tests using bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa), yeasts (Candida parapsilosis, Candida albicans) and microscopic fungi (Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus). It was found that the antimicrobial effectiveness of the silver-enriched red onion peel extract-gelatin films was higher at lower AgNO₃ concentrations as compared to those usually used in the commercially available antimicrobial products. The enhancement of the antimicrobial effectiveness was analyzed and discussed, assuming the synergy between photoreducing agent (red onion peel extract) and silver nitrate (AgNO₃) in the initial gel solutions leading to the intensification of Ag nanoparticles production.

Non-destructive distinction of single seed for Medicago sativa and Melilotus officinalis by capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection

Flavonoids are a class of natural polyphenolic compounds with great health benefits, and the development of methods for their analysis is of continuing interest. In this work, apigenin, kaempferol and formononetin were selected as the typical representatives of flavone, flavonol and isoflavone, three subclasses of flavonoids. Fluorescence studies revealed that tetraborate complexation could significantly sensitize the weak intrinsic fluorescence of flavonoids in solution, with a maximum of 137-fold for kaempferol. Subsequently, an integrated strategy of derivatization and separation was proposed for the universal analysis of flavonoids by capillary electrophoresis (CE) with 405 nm laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection. Using a running buffer consisting of 20 mM sodium tetraborate, 10 mM SDS and 10% methanol (pH 8.5), the dynamic derivatization was realized in the capillary, and the baseline separation was achieved within 10 min, with the detection limits of 0.92-35.46 nM (S/N=3) for the total of 9 flavonoids. The developed CE-LIF method was employed to the quantitative analysis of some flavonoids in Medicago sativa (alfalfa) plants and granulated alfalfa with the recoveries of 80.55-94.25%. Combined with the principal component analysis, the developed method was successfully applied to the non-destructive distinction of single seed for alfalfa and Melilotus officinalis (sweet clover), two forage grass seeds with very similar apparent morphology. Furthermore, this method was used to continuously monitor the substance metabolism during the soaking process at the level of single seed.

Digital Database of Absorption Spectra of Diverse Flavonoids Enables Structural Comparisons and Quantitative Evaluations

Flavonoids play diverse roles in plants, comprise a non-negligible fraction of net primary photosynthetic production, and impart beneficial effects in human health from a plant-based diet. Absorption spectroscopy is an essential tool for quantitation of flavonoids isolated from complex plant extracts. The absorption spectra of flavonoids typically consist of two major bands, band I (300-380 nm) and band II (240-295 nm), where the former engenders a yellow color; in some flavonoids the absorption tails to 400-450 nm. The absorption spectra of 177 flavonoids and analogues of natural or synthetic origin have been assembled, including molar absorption coefficients (109 from the literature, 68 measured here). The spectral data are in digital form and can be viewed and accessed at http://www.photochemcad.com. The database enables comparison of the absorption spectral features of 12 distinct types of flavonoids including flavan-3-ols (e.g., catechin, epigallocatechin), flavanones (e.g., hesperidin, naringin), 3-hydroxyflavanones (e.g., taxifolin, silybin), isoflavones (e.g., daidzein, genistein), flavones (e.g., diosmin, luteolin), and flavonols (e.g., fisetin, myricetin). The structural features that give rise to shifts in wavelength and intensity are delineated. The availability of digital absorption spectra for diverse flavonoids facilitates analysis and quantitation of these valuable plant secondary metabolites. Four examples are provided of calculations─multicomponent analysis, solar ultraviolet photoprotection, sun protection factor (SPF), and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)─for which the spectra and accompanying molar absorption coefficients are sine qua non.

A simple array integrating machine learning for identification of flavonoids in red wines

Bioactive flavonoids, the major ingredients of red wines, have been proven to prevent atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease due to their anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activity. However, flavonoids have proven challenging to identify, even when multiple approaches are combined. Hereby, a simple array was constructed to detect flavonoids by employing phenylboronic acid modified perylene diimide derivatives (PDIs). Through multiple non-specific interactions (hydrophilic, hydrophobic, charged, aromatic, hydrogen-bonded and reversible covalent interactions) with flavonoids, the fluorescence of PDIs can be modulated, and variations in intensity can be used to create fingerprints of flavonoids. This array successfully discriminated 14 flavonoids of diverse structures and concentrations with 100% accuracy, based on patterns in fluorescence intensity modulation, via optimized machine learning algorithms. As a result, this array demonstrated the parallel detection of 8 different types and origins of red wines with a high accuracy, revealing the excellent potential of the sensor array in food mixtures detection.

Comparison of Chromatic and Spectrophotometric Properties of White and Red Wines Produced in Galicia (Northwest Spain) by Applying PCA

Wine is a complex matrix composed of numerous substances and color has an important influence on its quality and consumer acceptance. Color is affected by numerous factors such as pre-fermentation and fermentation operations, ageing, contact or addition of certain substances. In this study, different chromatic parameters were determined in 99 wines (58 red and 41 white) made from Galician (Northwest Spain) grape varieties. These parameters were obtained by using simple, rapid, and inexpensive spectrophotometric methodologies: color intensity, hue, total polyphenols content (Total Polyphenol Index TPI, Folin–Ciocalteu index, FCI), total anthocyans, total tannins, and color coordinates measured by the CIELab system. The influence of ageing in barrels (red wines) or using chips (white and red wines) on these parameters was also studied. A principal component analysis (PCA) was carried out to characterize the wines according to their chromatic characteristics. Application of PCA to the experimental data resulted in satisfactory classifications of studied white and red wines according to the cited enological practices.

Biomedical and Antioxidant Potentialities in Chilli: Perspectives and Way Forward

Worldwide, since ages and nowadays, traditional medicine is well known, owing to its biodiversity, which immensely contributed to the advancement and development of complementary and alternative medicines. There is a wide range of spices, herbs, and trees known for their medicinal uses. Chilli peppers, a vegetable cum spice crop, are bestowed with natural bioactive compounds, flavonoids, capsaicinoids, phytochemicals, phytonutrients, and pharmacologically active compounds with potential health benefits. Such compounds manifest their functionality over solo-treatment by operating in synergy and consortium. Co-action of these compounds and nutrients make them potentially effective against coagulation, obesity, diabetes, inflammation, dreadful diseases, such as cancer, and microbial diseases, alongside having good anti-oxidants with scavenging ability to free radicals and oxygen. In recent times, capsaicinoids especially capsaicin can ameliorate important viral diseases, such as SARS-CoV-2. In addition, capsaicin provides an ability to chilli peppers to ramify as topical agents in pain-relief and also benefitting man as a potential effective anesthetic agent. Such phytochemicals involved not only make them useful and a much economical substitute to wonder/artificial drugs but can be exploited as obscene drugs for the production of novel stuffs. The responsibility of the TRPV1 receptor in association with capsaicin in mitigating chronic diseases has also been justified in this study. Nonetheless, medicinal studies pertaining to consumption of chilli peppers are limited and demand confirmation of the findings from animal studies. In this artifact, an effort has been made to address in an accessible format the nutritional and biomedical perspectives of chilli pepper, which could precisely upgrade and enrich our pharmaceutical industries towards human well-being.

Quality assessment and chemical diversity of Australian propolis from Apis mellifera bees

The propolis industry is well established in European, South American and East Asian countries. Within Australia, this industry is beginning to emerge with a few small-scale producers. To contribute to the development of the Australian propolis industry, the present study aimed to examine the quality and chemical diversity of propolis collected from various regions across Australia. The results of testing 158 samples indicated that Australian propolis had pure resin yielding from 2 to 81% by weight, total phenolic content and total flavonoid content in one gram of dry extract ranging from a few up to 181 mg of gallic acid equivalent and 145 mg of quercetin equivalent, respectively. Some Australian propolis showed more potent antioxidant activity than the well-known Brazilian green, Brazilian red, and Uruguayan and New Zealand poplar-type propolis in an in vitro DPPH assay. In addition, an HPLC–UV analysis resulted in the identification of 16 Australian propolis types which can be considered as high-grade propolis owing to their high total phenolic content. Chemometric analysis of their ¹H NMR spectra revealed that propolis originating from the eastern and western coasts of Australia could be significantly discriminated based on their chemical composition.

Bird Cherry (Prunus padus) Fruit Extracts Inhibit Lipid Peroxidation in PC Liposomes: Spectroscopic, HPLC, and GC–MS Studies

The antioxidant potential of bird cherry fruit of water, methanol, ethanol, and acetone extracts and their antioxidant efficiency against oxidation of PC liposomes using spectroscopic and chromatographic methods were investigated. The chromatographic methods quantified and specified the presence of phenolic and flavonoid compounds in the investigated extracts. The characteristic peaks in the UV spectrum at 275 nm and 370 nm confirmed the presence of phenols and flavonoids and their derivatives. Their presence was also confirmed by FTIR spectra, which revealed the presence of its functional groups. The total luminescence spectra with maxima at 314–318 nm, 325–355 nm, and 428–435 nm were ascribed to the presence of phenolic acids and tocopherols. The antioxidant properties of extracts and its inhibition properties against lipid peroxidation in PC liposomes were determined by fluorogenic probes DCF-H and C11-BODIPY581/591. The measured antioxidant properties against generated free radicals in aqueous and lipogenic phases revealed differences between extracts depending on their physicochemical properties with the greatest potential for acetone extract and sirup. The presented quantitative analysis indicated that cherry bird extracts possess significant amounts of phenolics and flavonoids, thus having the opportunity to be used as a natural antioxidant agent source with a large potential for application in pharmaceutical and food industries.

Co-assembly Behaviors of Flavonol Derivatives Induced by a Pyridine Derivative on HOPG via Hydrogen Bonding and Van der Waals Forces

In this paper, two new flavonol derivatives, 2-(4-(dodecyloxy)phenyl)-3-hydroxyflavone (DHF) and 2-(3,5-bis(dodecyloxy)phenyl)-3-hydroxyflavone (BDHF), were synthesized to investigate the respective self-assembly behaviors at the liquid/solid interface by scanning tunneling microscopy. In addition, a linear pyridine derivative with acetylene groups called BisPy was added to regulate the assembly of DHF and BDHF, individually. However, only BDHF molecules successfully co-assembled into grid structures with BisPy molecules. Furthermore, the assembly and co-assembly behavior mechanism of flavonol derivatives and BisPy molecules were further studied by density functional theory calculations. This work will lay a foundation for investigating the self-assembly of flavonol derivatives and the co-assembly regulated by pyridine derivatives at the liquid-solid interface.

Development, Validation, and Application of the UPLC-DAD Methodology for the Evaluation of the Qualitative and Quantitative Composition of Phenolic Compounds in the Fruit of American Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton)

Phenolic compounds in the fruit of American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton) determine the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and other biological effects. The berries are used in the production of medicinal preparations and food supplements, which highlights the importance of qualitative and quantitative analysis of phenolic compounds in cranberry fruit raw material. The aim of our study was to develop and validate an efficient, cost-effective, reproducible, and fast UPLC-DAD methodology for the evaluation of the qualitative and quantitative composition of phenolic compounds in raw material and preparations of American cranberry fruit. During the development of the methodology, chlorogenic acid and the following flavonols were identified in cranberry fruit samples: myricetin-3-galactoside, quercetin-3-galactoside, quercetin-3-glucoside, quercetin-3-α-L-arabinopyranoside, quercetin-3-α-L-arabinofuranoside, quercetin-3-rhamnoside, myricetin, and quercetin. The developed and optimized UPLC-DAD methodology was validated according to the guidelines of the International Council for Harmonization (ICH), evaluating the following parameters: range, specificity, linearity (R² > 0.999), precision (%RSD < 2%), LOD (0.38–1.01 µg/mL), LOQ (0.54–3.06 µg/mL), and recovery (80–110%). The developed methodology was applied to evaluate the qualitative and quantitative composition of phenolic compounds in fruit samples of cranberry cultivars ‘Baifay’, ‘Bergman’, ‘Prolific’, and ‘Searles’, as well as ‘Bain-MC’ and ‘BL-12′ clones. In the tested samples, the majority (about 70%) of the identified flavonols were quercetin derivatives. The greatest amount of quercetin-3-galactoside (1035.35 ± 4.26 µg/g DW) was found in fruit samples of the ‘Searles’ cultivar, and the greatest amount of myricetin-3-galactoside (940.06 ± 24.91 µg/g DW) was detected in fruit samples of the ‘Woolman’ cultivar.

Investigating the Recycling Potential of Glass Based Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells-Melting Experiment

The effects of climate change are becoming increasingly clear, and the urgency of solving the energy and resource crisis has been recognized by politicians and society. One of the most important solutions is sustainable energy technologies. The problem with the state of the art, however, is that production is energy-intensive and non-recyclable waste remains after the useful life. For monocrystalline photovoltaics, for example, there are recycling processes for glass and aluminum, but these must rather be described as downcycling. The semiconductor material is not recycled at all. Another promising technology for sustainable energy generation is dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Although efficiency and long-term stability still need to be improved, the technology has high potential to complement the state of the art. DSSCs have comparatively low production costs and can be manufactured without toxic components. In this work, we present the world' s first experiment to test the recycling potential of non-toxic glass-based DSSCs in a melting test. The glass constituents were analyzed by optical emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma (ICP-OES), and the surface was examined by scanning electron microscopy energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX). The glass was melted in a furnace and compared to a standard glass recycling process. The results show that the described DSSCs are suitable for glass recycling and thus can potentially circulate in a circular economy without a downcycling process. However, material properties such as chemical resistance, transparency or viscosity are not investigated in this work and need further research.

New Mutant Amaranth Varieties as a Potential Source of Biologically Active Substances

Amaranth species represent a diverse group of plants. Many of them are a rich source of secondary metabolites with many positive biological effects. Total phenolic, total flavonoid and rutin content, antioxidant activity against superoxide and hydroxyl radicals, FRAP (Ferric-reducing ability of plasma) assay and DPPH (2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging assay were determined in ethanol extracts of dried leaves of the new Slovak amaranth varieties ‘Pribina’ and ‘Zobor’. The amount of total phenolic substances (‘Pribina’ GAE 38.3 mg.g⁻¹ DM and ‘Zobor’ GAE 26.1 mg.g⁻¹ DM), content of total flavonoids (‘Pribina’ QE 26.5 mg.g⁻¹ DM and ‘Zobor’ QE 20.3 mg.g⁻¹ DM) and rutin (‘Pribina’ 50.8 mg.g⁻¹ DM and ‘Zobor’ 15.2 mg.g⁻¹ DM) were higher in the variety ‘Pribina’, compared to the variety ‘Zobor’. A statistically higher antioxidant activity against superoxide radical (1.63%·mg⁻¹g⁻¹ DM), hydroxyl radical (3.20%.mg⁻¹g⁻¹ DM), FRAP assay (292.80 µmol.L⁻¹·mg⁻¹.g⁻¹ DM) and DPPH (54.2 ± 1.78 µg.mL⁻¹ DM) were detected in the ‘Pribina’ variety. Antiradical and antioxidant activities of both extracts showed high positive correlations in relation to the content of total phenolic substances, total flavonoids and rutin. Amaranth is an undemanding crop on specific environmental conditions and is resistant to abiotic and biotic stress.

Fruits and their impact on the gut microbiota, gut motility and constipation

Fruits are the seed-bearing product of plants and have considerable nutritional importance in the human diet. The consumption of fruits is among the dietary strategies recommended for constipation due to its potential effects on the gut microbiota and gut motility. Dietary fiber from fruits has been the subject of research on the impact on gut microbiota, gut motility and constipation, however, fruits also contain other components that impact the intestinal luminal environment that may impact these outcomes including sorbitol and (poly)phenols. This review aims to explore the mechanisms of action and effectiveness of fruits and fruit products on the gut microbiota, gut motility and constipation, with a focus on fiber, sorbitol and (poly)phenols. In vitro, animal and human studies investigating the effects of fruits on gut motility and gut microbiota were sought through electronic database searches, hand searching and consulting with experts. Various fruits have been shown to modify the microbiota in human studies including blueberry powder (lactobacilli, bifidobacteria), prunes (bifidobacteria), kiwi fruit (Bacteroides, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii) and raisins (Ruminococcus, F. prausnitzii). Prunes, raisins and apple fiber isolate have been shown to increase fecal weight in humans, whilst kiwifruit to increase small bowel and fecal water content. Apple fiber isolate, kiwifruit, fig paste, and orange extract have been shown to reduce gut transit time, while prunes have not. There is limited evidence on which fruit components play a predominant role in regulating gut motility and constipation, or whether a synergy of multiple components is responsible for such effects.

Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of the Accumulation of Anthocyanins Revealed the Underlying Metabolic and Molecular Mechanisms of Purple Pod Coloration in Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.)

Color is an essential agronomic trait and the consumption of high anthocyanin containing vegetables in daily diet does provide benefits to human health, but the mechanisms on anthocyanin accumulation in tender pods of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) were totally unknown. In this study, a wide characterization and quantitation of anthocyanins and flavonols in tender pods of 15 okra varieties were performed by UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS for the first time. Two major anthocyanins (delphinidin 3-O-sambubioside and cyanidin 3-O-sambubioside) and six kinds of flavonol glycosides (most are quercetin-based) were identified and quantified. The coloration of the purple okra pod mainly arises from the accumulation of both delphinidin 3-O-sambubioside and cyanidin 3-O-sambubioside in most of purple varieties (Hong Yu, Bowling Red and Burgundy), except Jing Orange. The significant differences in the compositions and contents of anthocyanins are responsible for the pod color ranging from brick-red to purplish-red among the various okra cultivars. Furthermore, four representative okra cultivars exhibiting obvious differences in anthocyanin accumulation were further analyzed with transcriptome and more than 4000 conserved differentially expressed genes were identified across the three compared groups (B vs. BR, B vs. HY and B vs. JO). Based on the comprehensive analysis of transcriptomic data, it was indicated that MBW complex consisting of AeMYB114, AeTT8, and AeTTG1 and other transcriptional factors coordinately regulate the accumulation of anthocyanins via the transcriptional regulation of structural genes. Moreover, four independent working models explaining the diversities of anthocyanin pigmentation in okra pods were also proposed. Altogether, these results improved our understanding on anthocyanin accumulation in okra pods, and provided strong supports for the development of okra pod as a functional food in the future.

Assessment of the Botanical Origin of Polish Honeys Based on Physicochemical Properties and Bioactive Components with Chemometric Analysis

Is it possible to characterize the types of honey based on their chemical composition, their content of bioactive substances, and their physicochemical properties? The objective of this study was a comparative analysis of four types of honey from the Carpathian Foothills area, located in south-east Poland, based on the content of the main phenolic acids and proline, the mineral composition, and selected physicochemical properties. Most analyses, such as those of phenolic acids, sugars, and proline content, in honey samples were performed using chromatographic methods. These experiments demonstrated that honeydew honeys were the richest in phenolic acids, minerals, as well as oligosaccharides, compared to other honeys. Dark-colored honeys were characterized by the highest proline content. The dominant elements in all types of honey were potassium and calcium. The results of the present study show that analyses of specific phenolic acids, minerals, proline, and sugar content, in combination with chemometrics analysis, may successfully differentiate between the biological origins of honey samples and allow the preliminary verification of the samples before performing time-consuming pollen analysis.

Comparative Study on Seed Characteristics, Antioxidant Activity, and Total Phenolic and Flavonoid Contents in Accessions of Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench

Sorghum is a major cereal food worldwide, and is considered a potential source of minerals and bioactive compounds. Its wide adaptive range may cause variations in its agronomic traits, antioxidant properties, and phytochemical content. This extensive study investigated variations in seed characteristics, antioxidant properties, and total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid contents (TFC) of sorghum collected from different ecological regions of 15 countries. The antioxidant potential of the seed extracts of various sorghum accessions was determined using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azinobis 3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate (ABTS) radical scavenging assays. Significant variations in TPC were observed among the sorghum accessions. All 78 sorghum accessions used in this study exhibited significant variations in TFC, with the lowest and highest amount observed in accessions C465 and J542, respectively. DPPH scavenging potential of the seed extracts for all the accessions ranged from 11.91 ± 4.83 to 1343.90 ± 81.02 µg mL⁻¹. The ABTS assay results were similar to those of DPPH but showed some differences in the accessions. Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed a wide variation range in the correlation between antioxidant activity and TPC, as well as TFC, among the sorghum accessions. A wide diversity range was also recorded for the seed characteristics (1000-seed weight and seed germination rate). A dendrogram generated from UPGMA clustering, based on seed traits, antioxidant activity, TPC, and TFC was highly dispersed for these accessions. Variations among the accessions may provide useful information regarding the phytoconstituents, antioxidant properties, and phytochemical contents of sorghum and aid in designing breeding programs to obtain sorghum with improved agronomic traits and bioactive properties.

Effect of Water Hardness on Catechin and Caffeine Content in Green Tea Infusions

The health benefits of green tea are associated with its high catechin content. In scientific studies, green tea is often prepared with deionized water. However, casual consumers will simply use their local tap water, which differs in alkalinity and mineral content depending on the region. To assess the effect of water hardness on catechin and caffeine content, green tea infusions were prepared with synthetic freshwater in five different hardness levels, a sodium bicarbonate solution, a mineral salt solution, and deionized water. HPLC analysis was performed with a superficially porous pentafluorophenyl column. As water hardness increased, total catechin yield decreased. This was mostly due to the autoxidation of epigallocatechin (EGC) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Epicatechin (EC), epicatechin gallate (ECG), and caffeine showed greater chemical stability. Autoxidation was promoted by alkaline conditions and resulted in the browning of the green tea infusions. High levels of alkaline sodium bicarbonate found in hard water can render some tap waters unsuitable for green tea preparation.

Using endogenous pigments to recolour roasted green tea

Roasted green tea exhibits undesirable dark green that can seriously affect sensory quality, market price, and consumer acceptance. The aim of this work was to propose a method of improving the appearance of the roasted green tea. In this study, rehydration with freeze-drying (RFD) was used to recolour the tea leaves by redistributing the endogenous pigments. The results indicated that the colour of the roasted green tea changed from dark green to bright green after the RFD treatment, the values of L* and b* were significantly increased (P&lt;0.05), and the value of a* was significantly decreased (P&lt;0.05). In addition, the RFD treatment making the yellow–green pigments transfer onto the surface of the tea leaves also induced a change in pigment contents, including chlorophylls, carotenoids, and flavonoid glycosides. The well-defined optimum parameters for the rehydration process were moisture content of tea leaves at 35 per cent, water temperature 25 °C, and a standing time of 1.5 h.

High-throughput determination of flavanone-O-glycosides in citrus beverages by paper spray tandem mass spectrometry

A fast and accurate methodology for the quantification of the most abundant flavanone glycosides in citrus beverages has been developed. The approach relies on the use of paper spray mass spectrometry, which allows to record data in few minutes and without sample pre-treatment. The experiments have been carried out in Multiple Reaction Monitoring scan mode, in order to obtain the best specificity and sensitivity. The analytical parameters were all satisfactory. The results coming from the analysis of real samples were compared to the data obtained by the commonly used chromatographic method, proving the robustness of the proposed approach.

Bioactive compounds in Apis mellifera monofloral honeys

Honey is a natural product with a sweet flavor. Honey is made by the honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) from the nectar of flowers or other plant secretions that are collected near the hive. These products are mixed with bee saliva and stored. Several studies have demonstrated that honey exhibits antioxidant, antimicrobial, nematicidal, antifungal, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory activities. These properties are influenced by the plants from which the secretions are harvested, from the naturally occurring compounds present in the nectar. Studies of the properties and applications of honey have distinguished honey from other natural products due to the presence of certain compounds and due its bioactive properties. The focus of this review is to discuss the identified and isolated compounds from monofloral honey produced by A. mellifera, with specific emphasis on antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of honey and its therapeutic health benefits.

Real wine or not? Protecting wine with traceability and authenticity for consumers: chemical and technical basis, technique applications, challenge, and perspectives

Wine is a high-value alcoholic beverage welcomed by consumers because of its flavor and nutritional value. The key information on wine bottle label is the basis of consumers' choice, which also becomes a target for manufacturers to adulterate, including geographical origin, grape variety and vintage. With the improvement of wine adulteration technology, modern technological means are needed to solve the above mentioned problems. The chemical basis of wine determines the type of technique used. Detection technology can be subdivided into four groups: mass spectrometry techniques, spectroscopic techniques, chromatography techniques, and other techniques. Multivariate statistical analysis of the data was performed by means of chemometrics methods. This paper outlines a series of procedures for wine classification and identification, and classified the analytical techniques and data processing methods used in recent years with listing their principles, advantages and disadvantages to help wine researchers choose appropriate methods to meet the challenge and ensure wine traceability and authenticity.

Antioxidant Determination with the Use of Carbon-Based Electrodes

Antioxidants are compounds that prevent or delay the oxidation process, acting at a much smaller concentration, in comparison to that of the preserved substrate. Primary antioxidants act as scavenging or chain breaking antioxidants, delaying initiation or interrupting propagation step. Secondary antioxidants quench singlet oxygen, decompose peroxides in non-radical species, chelate prooxidative metal ions, inhibit oxidative enzymes. Based on antioxidants’ reactivity, four lines of defense have been described: Preventative antioxidants, radical scavengers, repair antioxidants, and antioxidants relying on adaptation mechanisms. Carbon-based electrodes are largely employed in electroanalysis given their special features, that encompass large surface area, high electroconductivity, chemical stability, nanostructuring possibilities, facility of manufacturing at low cost, and easiness of surface modification. Largely employed methods encompass voltammetry, amperometry, biamperometry and potentiometry. Determination of key endogenous and exogenous individual antioxidants, as well as of antioxidant activity and its main contributors relied on unmodified or modified carbon electrodes, whose analytical parameters are detailed. Recent advances based on modifications with carbon-nanotubes or the use of hybrid nanocomposite materials are described. Large effective surface area, increased mass transport, electrocatalytical effects, improved sensitivity, and low detection limits in the nanomolar range were reported, with applications validated in complex media such as foodstuffs and biological samples.

Transcriptome-based metabolic profiling of flavonoids in Agave lechuguilla waste biomass

Agave lechuguilla is one of the most abundant species in arid and semiarid regions of Mexico, and is used to extract fiber. However, 85 % of the harvested plant material is discarded. Previous bioprospecting studies of the waste biomass suggest the presence of bioactive compounds, although the extraction process limited metabolite characterization. This work achieved flavonoid profiling of A. lechuguilla in both processed and non-processed leaf tissues using transcriptomic analysis. Functional annotation of the first de novo transcriptome of A. lechuguilla (255.7 Mbp) allowed identifying genes coding for 33 enzymes and 8 transcription factors involved in flavonoid biosynthesis. The flavonoid metabolic pathway was mostly elucidated by HPLC-MS/MS screening of alcoholic extracts. Key genes of flavonoid synthesis were higher expressed in processed leaf tissues than in non-processed leaves, suggesting a high content of flavonoids and glycoside derivatives in the waste biomass. Targeted HPLC-UV-MS analyses confirmed the concentration of isorhamnetin (1251.96 μg), flavanone (291.51 μg), hesperidin (34.23 μg), delphinidin (24.23 μg), quercetin (15.57 μg), kaempferol (13.71 μg), cyanidin (12.32 μg), apigenin (9.70 μg) and catechin (7.91 μg) per gram of dry residue. Transcriptomic and biochemical profiling concur in the potential of lechuguilla by-products with a wide range of applications in agriculture, feed, food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries.

An RP-LC-UV-TWIMS-HRMS and Chemometric Approach to Differentiate between Momordicabalsamina Chemotypes from Three Different Geographical Locations in Limpopo Province of South Africa

Momordica balsamina leaf extracts originating from three different geographical locations were analyzed using reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RP-LC) coupled to travelling wave ion mobility (TWIMS) and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) in conjunction with chemometric analysis to differentiate between potential chemotypes. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity of the three individual chemotypes was evaluated using HT-29 colon cancer cells. A total of 11 molecular species including three flavonol glycosides, five cucurbitane-type triterpenoid aglycones and three glycosidic cucurbitane-type triterpenoids were identified. The cucurbitane-type triterpenoid aglycones were detected in the positive ionization mode following dehydration [M + H − H₂O]⁺ of the parent compound, whereas the cucurbitane-type triterpenoid glycosides were primarily identified following adduct formation with ammonia [M + NH₄]⁺. The principle component analysis (PCA) loadings plot and a variable influence on projection (VIP) analysis revealed that the isomeric pair balsaminol E and/or karavilagen E was the key molecular species contributing to the distinction between geographical samples. Ultimately, based on statistical analysis, it is hypothesized that balsaminol E and/or karavilagen E are likely responsible for the cytotoxic effects in HT-29 cells.

Auto-hydrolysis of red clover as "green" approach to (iso)flavonoid enriched products

Optimal parameters for the auto-hydrolysis of (iso)flavone glycosides to aglycones in ground Trifolium pratense L. plant material were established as a "green" method for the production of a reproducible red clover extract (RCE). The process utilized 72-h fermentation in DI water at 25 and 37 °C. The aglycones obtained at 25 °C, as determined by UHPLC-UV and quantitative ¹H NMR (qHNMR), increased significantly in the auto-hydrolyzed (ARCE) (6.2-6.7% w/w biochanin A 1, 6.1-9.9% formononetin 2) vs a control ethanol (ERCE) extract (0.24% 1, 0.26% 2). After macerating ARCE with 1:1 (v/v) diethyl ether/hexanes (ARCE-d/h), 1 and 2 increased to 13.1-16.7% and 14.9-18.4% w, respectively, through depletion of fatty components. The final extracts showed chemical profiles similar to that of a previous clinical RCE. Biological standardization revealed that the enriched ARCE-d/h extracts produced the strongest estrogenic activity in ERα positive endometrial cells (Ishikawa cells), followed by the precursor ARCE. The glycoside-rich ERCE showed no estrogenic activity. The estrogenicity of ARCE-d/h was similar to that of the clinical RCE. The lower potency of the ARCE compared to the prior clinical RCE indicated that substantial amounts of fatty acids/matter likely reduce the estrogenicity of crude hydrolyzed preparations. The in vitro dynamic residual complexity of the conversion of biochanin A to genistein was evaluated by LC-MS-MS. The outcomes help advance translational research with red clover and other (iso)flavone-rich botanicals by inspiring the preparation of (iso)flavone aglycone-enriched extracts for the exploration of new in vitro and ex vivo bioactivities that are unachievable with genuine, glycoside-containing extracts.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Improve Tolerance of the Medicinal Plant Eclipta prostrata (L.) and Induce Major Changes in Polyphenol Profiles Under Salt Stresses

Eclipta prostrata (L.) is an important and well-known medicinal plant due to its valuable bioactive compounds. Microorganisms, including arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and salinity could directly impact plant metabolome, thus influencing their secondary metabolites and the efficacy of herbal medicine. In this study, the role of different single AMF species (Funneliformis mosseae, Septoglomus deserticola, Acaulospora lacunosa) and a mixture of six AMF species in plant growth and physio-biochemical characteristics of E. prostrata under non-saline conditions was investigated. Next, the most suitable AM treatment was chosen to examine the impact of AMF on physio-biochemical features and polyphenol profiles of E. prostrata under saline conditions (100 and 200 mM NaCl). The findings indicated that AMF mixture application resulted in more effective promotion on the aboveground part of non-saline plants than single AMF species. AM mixture application improved growth and salt tolerance of E. prostrata through increasing the activity of catalase, peroxidase (at 4 weeks), proline, and total phenolic content (at 8 weeks). Such benefits were not observed under high salinity, except for a higher total phenolic concentration in mycorrhizal plants at 8 weeks. Through high-performance liquid chromatography, 14 individual phenolic compounds were analyzed, with wedelolactone and/or 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid abundant in all treatments. Salinity and mycorrhizal inoculation sharply altered the polyphenol profiles of E. prostrata. Moderate salinity boosted phenolic compound production in non-AM plants at 4 weeks, while at 8 weeks, the decline in the content of phenolic compounds occurred in uncolonized plants subjected to both saline conditions. Mycorrhization augmented polyphenol concentration and yield under non-saline and saline conditions, depending on the growth stages and salt stress severity. Plant age influenced polyphenol profiles with usually a higher content of phenolic compounds in older plants and changed the production of individual polyphenols of both non-AM and AM plants under non-stress and salt stress conditions. A better understanding of factors (involving mycorrhiza and salinity) affecting the phenolic compounds of E. prostrata facilitates the optimization of individual polyphenol production in this medicinal plant.

Polyoxometalates in Analytical Sciences

Polyoxometalates (POMs) have been used for spectrophotometric determinations of silicon and phosphorus under acidic conditions, referred to as the molybdenum yellow method and molybdenum blue method, respectively. Many POMs are redox active and exhibit fascinating but complicated voltammetric responses. These compounds can reversibly accommodate and release many electrons without exhibiting structural changes, implying that POMs can function as excellent mediators and can be applied to sensitive determination methods based on catalytic electrochemical reactions. In addition, some rare-earth-metal-incorporated POMs exhibit fluorescence, which enables sensitive determination by the enhancement and quenching of fluorescence intensities. In this review, various analytical applications of POMs are introduced, mainly focusing on papers published after 2000, except for the molybdenum yellow method and molybdenum blue method.

Study of Tetrahydroxylated Anthraquinones-Potential Tool to Assess Degradation of Anthocyanins Rich Food

Degradation of anthocyanins involves scission of the flavonoid skeleton yielding 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzaldehyde (phloroglucinaldehyde, PGA) and a phenolic acid. However, the process is not finished with the formation of PGA, as the consequent condensation of two PGA molecules providing colored hydroxylated anthraquinones was observed for the first time. This process was studied using a combination of preparative column chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance, liquid chromatography/high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (LC/HRMS²), and quantum calculations using density functional theory. 1,3,5,7-tetrahydroxyanthraquinone (anthrachrysone) and its isomers were found to rise during heating (95 °C) in a buffered PGA model solution (phosphate buffer, pH 7). These compounds were detected in heated red wine after an increase of its pH value. The concentration of the identified anthrachrysone in the red wine reached 0.01 mg·L^-1. Presence of those compounds could therefore indicate involvement of certain steps in the processing of plant materials rich in anthocyanins (e.g., utilization of a higher temperature and/or reduction of acidity) or long-term transformation of anthocyanins (potentially, for instance, in archaeological findings such as wine or fruit residues). Additionally, measurement of wine-soil suspensions proved an increase of their pH to the values suitable for anthocyanin cleavage (neutral to slightly alkaline; reached using soil from archaeologically well-known Bull Rock Cave). Although not found in artificially prepared samples (imitations) or authentic materials so far, according to our results the above mentioned conditions are suitable for the formation of tetrahydroxylated anthraquinone derivatives and their monitoring would be beneficial.

Application of Ultraviolet-Visible Absorption Spectroscopy with Machine Learning Techniques for the Classification of Cretan Wines

The present study was aimed at the identification, differentiation and characterization of red and white Cretan wines, which are described with Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), using ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy. Specifically, the grape variety, the wine aging process and the role of barrel/container type were investigated. The combination of spectroscopic results with machine learning-based modelling demonstrated the use of absorption spectroscopy as a facile and low-cost technique in wine analysis. In this study, a clear discrimination among grape varieties was revealed. Moreover, a grouping of samples according to aging period and container type of maturation was accomplished, for the first time.

Microfluidic Isolation and Enrichment of Nanoparticles

Over the past decades, nanoparticles have increased in implementation to a variety of applications ranging from high-efficiency electronics to targeted drug delivery. Recently, microfluidic techniques have become an important tool to isolate and enrich populations of nanoparticles with uniform properties (e.g., size, shape, charge) due to their precision, versatility, and scalability. However, due to the large number of microfluidic techniques available, it can be challenging to identify the most suitable approach for isolating or enriching a nanoparticle of interest. In this review article, we survey microfluidic methods for nanoparticle isolation and enrichment based on their underlying mechanisms, including acoustofluidics, dielectrophoresis, filtration, deterministic lateral displacement, inertial microfluidics, optofluidics, electrophoresis, and affinity-based methods. We discuss the principles, applications, advantages, and limitations of each method. We also provide comparisons with bulk methods, perspectives for future developments and commercialization, and next-generation applications in chemistry, biology, and medicine.

Identity confirmation of anthocyanins in berries by LC-DAD-IM-QTOFMS

Rugged analytical methods for the screening and identity confirmation of anthocyanins require a dedicated sample preparation, chromatographic setup, and the reliable generation of multiple identification points to confirm identity against the wide range of phenolic compounds typically present in food, beverage, and plant material samples. To this end, combinations of spectroscopic and mass spectrometric detection are frequently employed for this application to provide higher confidence in the absence of authentic standards. In the present work, low‐field drift tube ion mobility (DTIM) separation is evaluated for this task using a LC–DAD–DTIM–QTOFMS method. DTIM‐MS allows accurate determination of collision cross sections (^DTCCS) for all analysed compounds as well as a precise alignment tool for reconciling fragment and precursor ions in data independent acquisition mode. The presented approach thereby allows for an anthocyanin screening method taking true advantage of all dimensions of the analytical platform: relative retention (RPLC), UV/VIS absorption spectrum, accurate mass, ^DTCCS_N2, and confirmed high‐resolution fragment ions. From the analysis of authentic standards and several berry samples primarily from the Vaccinium genus, Level 1 confirmation data for six anthocyanins from the cyanidin family, and Level 2 confirmation for a further 29 anthocyanins confirmed in berry samples is provided. The method and accompanying dataset provided as part of this work provides a means to develop anthocyanin screening methods using the ion mobility dimension as an additional alignment and filtering parameter in data independent analysis acquisition across any LC–IM–MS platform.

Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Polyphenolic Contents and Acid Hydrolysis of Flavonoid Glycosides from Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) Leaf: Optimization and Correlation with Free Radical Scavenging Activity

Malaysia is ranked as the second largest oil palm producer in the world after Indonesia. This leads to the generation of large quantities of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) leaves (OPLs) annually, considered an underutilized oil palm biomass with low economical value. The present study aimed to study the effects of several parameters of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and the acid hydrolysis of phenolic compounds from OPLs using the single factor experimental approach. The effects of different solvents (hexane, ethyl acetate, 1:1 methanol–ethyl acetate, absolute methanol, and 4:1 methanol–water), solid–liquid ratios (1:20, 1:40, 1:50, 1:60, and 1:70), times (0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 5 h), and temperatures (25, 30, 40, 60, and 70 °C) were investigated for UAE. Moreover, the effects of acid concentration (0.2, 1, 2, 4, 6, and 12 M), incubation time (10, 30, 45, 60, and 90 min), and incubation temperature (65, 75, 85, 90, and 95 °C) on the acid hydrolysis of flavonoid glycosides were also determined. The results revealed that some of the tested parameters had prominent effects on the total phenolic (TPC) and total flavonoid (TFC) contents, as well as the DPPH free radical scavenging activity recovered from the OPLs. The optimal UAE conditions were determined to be 0.5 h at 25 °C using 4:1 methanol–water and 1:50 solid–liquid ratio, producing OPL extracts with TPC and TFC at 335.30 and 60.67 milligrams quercetin equivalents per gram of extract (mg QCE/g extract), respectively, and DPPH free radical scavenging activity at 94.06%. The phenolics present in OPLs were optimally hydrolysed using 6 M hydrochloric acid with an incubation period of 45 min at 95 °C with TPC, TFC, and DPPH free radical scavenging activity at 126.33 milligrams gallic acid equivalents per gram of extract (mg GAE/g extract), 36.08 mg QCE/g, and 54.88%, respectively. Moreover, acid hydrolysis managed to optimally recover the total apigenin content (TAC), total luteolin content (TLC), and total flavonoid C-glycoside content (TFCGC) with values of 79.12 micrograms vitexin equivalents per milligram of extract (µg VE/mg extract), 20.97 micrograms orientin equivalents per milligram of extract (µg OE/mg extract), and 100.09 µg/mg, respectively. Additionally, there were significant correlations between the polyphenolic compounds, flavonoid C-glycosides, and antioxidant activity for all parameters based on the Pearson correlation analysis. This indicates that OPLs have potential as a natural source of phenolic compounds, especially flavonoid C-glycosides, with beneficial free radical scavenging activity that can be incorporated in food and pharmaceutical products.

Citrus flavonoids and the intestinal barrier: Interactions and effects

The intestinal barrier plays a central role in sustaining gut homeostasis and, when dysfunctional, may contribute to diseases. Dietary flavonoids derived from Citrus genus represent one of the main naturally occurring phytochemicals with multiple potential benefits for the intestinal barrier function. In the intestine, citrus flavonoids (CFs) undergo ingestion from the lumen, biotransformation in the epithelial cells and/or crosstalk with luminal microbiota to afford various metabolites that may in turn exert protective actions on gut barrier along with their parental compounds. Specifically, the health-promoting properties of CFs and their metabolic bioactives for the intestinal barrier include their capacity to (a) modulate barrier permeability; (b) protect mucus layer; (c) regulate intestinal immune system; (d) fight against oxidative stress; and (e) positively shape microbiome and metabolome. Notably, local effects of CFs can also generate systemic benefits, for instance, improvement of gut microbial dysbiosis helpful to orchestrate gut homeostasis and leading to alleviation of systemic dysmetabolism. Given the important role of the intestinal barrier in overall health, further understanding of underlying action mechanisms and ultimate health effects of CFs as well as their metabolites on the intestine is of great significance to future application of citrus plants and their bioactives as dietary supplements and/or functional ingredients in medical foods.

Development of an analytical method for the quantitative determination of multi-class nutrients in different food matrices by solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry using design of experiments

A simple and rapid analytical method based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with the aid of design of experiments (DOE) approach was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of multi-class nutrients (water- and fat-soluble vitamins and flavonoids) in various food matrices (vegetables, fruits, and cereals). The factors affecting the SPE method were optimized using DOE tools. The separation was achieved in 13 min using the C18 column by gradient LC programme. The SPE-LC-MS/MS method was validated in terms of limit of detection (1.29-29.17 ng/g), linearity range (25-1000 ng/g), coefficient of determination (0.993-0.999) and recovery (72.53-104.24%) for multi-class nutrients in different food samples. Inter- and intra-day precision were evaluated and found to be within acceptable range. The developed method finds extensive application in the routine analysis of multi-class nutrients in various food matrices.

A Chitosan-PLGA based catechin hydrate nanoparticles used in targeting of lungs and cancer treatment

OBJECTIVE

To prepare a novel Chitosan (CS)-coated-PLGA-NPs of catechin hydrate (CTH) and to improve lungs bioavailability via direct nose to lungs-delivery for the comparative assessment of a pulmokinetics study by the first-time UHPLC-MS/MS developed method in the treatment of lungs cancer via anticancer activities on H1299 lung cancer cells.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

PLGA-NPs was prepared by solvent evaporation (double emulsion) method followed by coated with chitosan (CS) and evaluated based on release and permeation of drug, a comparative pulmokinetics study with their anticancer activities on H1299 lung cancer cells.

RESULTS

The particle size, PDI and ZP of the optimized CAT-PLGA-NPs and CS-CAT-PLGA-NPs were determined 124.64 ± 12.09 nm and 150.81 ± 15.91 nm, 0.163 ± 0.03 and 0.306 ± 0.03, -3.94 ± 0.19 mV and 26.01 ± 1.19 mV respectively. Furthermore, higher entrapment efficiency was observed for CS-CAT PLGA NPs. The release pattern of the CS-CAT-PLGA NPs was found to favor the release of entrapped CAT within the cancer microenvironment. CS-CAT-PLGA-NPs exposed on H1299 cancer cells upto 24.0 h was found to be higher cytotoxic as compared to CAT-solution (CAT-S). CS-CAT-PLGA-NPs showed higher apoptosis of cancer cells after their exposure as compared to CAT-S. CS-CTH-PLGA-NPs showed tremendous mucoadhesive-nature as compared to CTH-S and CS-CTH-PLGA NPs by retention time (RT) of 0.589 min, and m/z of 289.21/109.21 for CTH alongwith RT of 0.613 min and m/z of 301.21/151.21 was found out for IS (internal standard), i.e. Quercetin). Likewise, for 1-1000 ng mL-1 (linear range) of % accuracy (92.01-99.31%) and %CV (inter & intra-day, i.e. 2.14-3.33%) was determined. The improved Cmax with AUC0-24 was observed extremely significant (p < 0.001) via i.n. as compared oral and i.v. in the wistar rat's lungs. The CS-approach was successfully designed and safely delivered CAT to the lungs without causing any risk.

CONCLUSION

CS-CTH-PLGA-NPs were showed a significant role (p < 0.001) for the enhancement of lungs-bioavailability and potentially promising approach to treat lung cancers. CS-CTH-PLGA-NPs did not cause any toxicity, it showed safety and have no obvious toxic-effects on the rat's lungs and does not produce any mortality followed by no abnormal findings in the treated-rats.

Integrated Metabolomics and Transcriptomics Analyses Reveal the Molecular Mechanisms Underlying the Accumulation of Anthocyanins and Other Flavonoids in Cowpea Pod (Vigna unguiculata L.)

As an important vegetable crop of the legume family, cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) is grown widely for its tender pod with good taste and nutrition. The purple cowpea pods attract more attention mainly for the eye-catching color and health-promoting ingredients. Initially, large quantities of two major anthocyanins (delphinidin 3-O-glucoside and cyanidin 3-O-glucoside) and nine kinds of flavonoids (most are quercetin-based flavonol glycosides) were separated and identified from purple cowpea pod by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry. To study them systematically, two representative cowpea cultivars with a drastic difference in anthocyanin accumulation were further analyzed by the integration of metabolomics and transcriptomics. A total of 56 differentially accumulated metabolites and 4142 differentially expressed genes were identified, respectively. On the basis of the comprehensive analysis of multiomic data, it was shown that VuMYB90-1, VuMYB90-2, VuMYB90-3, VuCPC, VuMYB4, and endogenous bHLH and WD40 proteins coordinately control anthocyanin and flavonoid accumulation via transcriptional regulation of structural genes in purple cowpea pod.

Grapevine Cane Extracts: Raw Plant Material, Extraction Methods, Quantification, and Applications

Grapevine canes are viticulture waste that is usually discarded without any further use. However, recent studies have shown that they contain significant concentrations of health-promoting compounds, such as stilbenes, secondary metabolites of plants produced as a response to biotic and abiotic stress from fungal disease or dryness. Stilbenes have been associated with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial properties and they have been tested as potential treatments of cardiovascular and neurological diseases, and even cancer, with promising results. Stilbenes have been described in the different genus of the Vitaceae family, the Vitis genera being one of the most widely studied due to its important applications and economic impact around the world. This review presents an in-depth study of the composition and concentration of stilbenes in grapevine canes. The results show that the concentration of stilbenes in grapevine canes is highly influenced by the Vitis genus and cultivar aspects (growing conditions, ultraviolet radiation, fungal attack, etc.). Different methods for extracting stilbenes from grapevine canes have been reviewed, and the extraction conditions have also been studied, underlining the advantages and disadvantages of each technique. After the stilbenes were extracted, they were analyzed to determine the stilbene composition and concentration. Analytical techniques have been employed with this aim, in most cases using liquid chromatography, coupled with others such as mass spectrometry and/or nuclear magnetic resonance to achieve the individual quantification. Finally, stilbene extracts may be applied in multiple fields based on their properties. The five most relevant are preservative, antifungal, insecticide, and biostimulant applications. The current state-of-the-art of the above applications and their prospects are discussed.